CEPA Part IV: controls on government operations

Part IV of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), contains the authority to regulate waste handling and disposal practices as well as emissions and effluents from the operations of federal departments, Crown corporations and federal agencies.

During 1996-97, the following were undertaken to assist federal government operations:

• Regulations respecting the registration of storage-tank systems for petroleum and allied petroleum products on federal lands were put in place;
• Drafting of Federal Halocarbon Regulations;
• Development of Technical Guidelines for Aboveground Storage Tank Systems containing Petroleum Products;
• Development of a training course to assist facility managers in meeting new federal requirements for storage tanks;
• A series of workshops on the management of federal contaminated sites, sponsored across Canada by the Contaminated Sites Management Working Group;
• Publication of two manuals Site Remediation Technologies: A Reference Manual and Preventing Site Contamination at Federal Facilities: A Guidance Manual;
• Development of a manager’s compliance guide and staff brochure as well as a manager’s guide to Regina v Regina were developed;
• Creation of a working group to coordinate and advise on issues relating to the "regulatory gap" in Part IV; and
• Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Compliance with Public Works and Government Services Canada was signed.

The Federal Code of Environmental Stewardship commits federal government departments to conform with the requirements of federal environmental legislation, and to make their operations compatible with other levels of government where appropriate. In support of environmental stewardship, the following initiatives were undertaken:

• Workshops on Greening Government Operations: The New Imperative were held in six cities across Canada. Some 700 attendees were able to learn first hand how to green their department, what amendments to the Auditor General Actmeant to them, and what to expect from the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development;
• The Auditor General’s Report on the implementation of the Federal Environmental Stewardship Program was published; and
• Workshops on environmental management systems and greening government operations, greening the automotive fleet, energy and water efficiency, green facility management and effective environmental communications were held.